memory_betafandomcom-20200223-history
Weeds
| miniseries = Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor | minino = 1 | writer = John Byrne | artist = John Byrne | colorist = Lovern Kindzierski | letterer = Neil Uyetake | editor = Chris Ryall | omnibus = Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor, The John Byrne Collection | published = | pages = 22 | publisher = IDW Publishing | covers = 4 | altcover = Frontier Doctor 1B.jpg | caption2 = Cover B, by John Byrne | date = 2271 | stardate = | }} Weeds was the first issue of ''Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor'', a four-issue Star Trek: The Original Series comic book miniseries written and drawn by John Byrne. This story was set in 2271 and published by IDW Publishing in . Publisher's description ;From solicitations :Space, the final frontier… and on that frontier and beyond, humans and aliens alike need medical care. Enter Leonard McCoy, Doctor of Space Medicine, late of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE… his first assignment: save the human colonists from a mysterious plague on a distant world whose only native lifeform is a vast and suddenly hostile jungle. Shipped with a special variant Byrne “gag” cover! Summary In San Francisco, while reading up on the refitting of his former starship the , Rear Admiral James T. Kirk received a handwritten letter from retired Doctor Leonard McCoy, who had taken Kirk's advice to get out of the house and joined the Frontier Medics Program. McCoy had been traveling with fellow doctor Jon Mikael Duncan aboard an ancient ship he'd christened , and spent several weeks helping the sick and injured out on the frontier. On their last stop, they picked up a stowaway, , a privileged young Andorian woman looking for adventure. Before McCoy could turn back, they were forced to respond to a distress call from Ophiucus III. He locked Theela in a cabin. At the colony, they learned that a plague had spread from workers at the perimeter fence, a massive retaining wall shutting out vegetation which covered the rest of the planet. Flying over the fence in skimmers, they rescued workers spraying defoliant on walking Jampala Trees, which had smashed through the fence. When the doctors returned, they found all of the colonists infected. Symptoms began advancing more rapidly. Recalling the origins of the Irish Potato Famine on Earth, McCoy had an inspiration and confirmed that the infecting organisms were genetically identical. The planet was actually covered by one huge megaplant, not diverse species, just as the potatoes in Ireland were essentially the same plant because they'd all been spliced from one potato. The megaplant was defending itself from human incursion. As McCoy and Duncan saw fungal growths begin to cover their bodies — the final symptom of the disease — Theela escaped from her cabin and confronted McCoy at gunpoint. But he was in no mood for her. He knocked her weapon aside and directed her to help him make an antidote. Since the affliction would only target humans, she was immune. She obeyed, quickly learning what needed to be done and coming to enjoy the work. She followed McCoy's instructions and produced a cure. Later, when she asked McCoy if she could remain with them, he allowed it, reluctantly. References Characters :Cruz • Jon Mikael Duncan • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • • Lars Vandernet • Chen Wa Vandernet • Ben Wilkes • unnamed Starfleet personnel Harry Mudd Starships and vehicles :aircars • groundcars • • skimmers ( heavy cruiser) Locations :Earth (San Francisco • Starfleet Headquarters) • Omicron Testus IV • Ophiucus III Earth (Georgia • Mississippi River • Ireland) • Starbase 23 Races and cultures :Andorian • Human States and organizations :Colonial Control • Frontier Medics Program • House Trelahn • Polagirus Trading Commune • Starfleet • Starfleet Security • United Federation of Planets Science and technology :airlock • artificial gravity • biobed • biochemistry • botany • rocket • computer • dagger • hologram • hypospray • phaser • phaser rifle • q'ss'lvav'a • scanner • seat belt • transporter • tricorder • warp drive • warp field Ranks and titles :admiral • colonist • colony supervisor • doctor • lieutenant • nurse • pilot • prime minister • servant • Other references :19th century • acre • agriculture • animal • atmosphere • beam • bird • blood • colony • courier • Federation law • fungus • Great Bird of the Galaxy • haran topor • hour • Jampala Tree • kilometer • lifeform • medical school • megaplant • meter • minute • month • moon • organism • planet • potato • Irish Potato Famine • quarters • Saurian brandy • Symbalene blood burn • vegetation • warp four • year Timeline Chronology | before = First issue in the series | after = Error |}} | after = Error |}} | nextMB = Error |}} Production history *'2010' **'April 14', first published by IDW Publishing. **'October 9', reprinted by IDW Publishing in the Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor miniseries omnibus. *'2013' **'June 4', reprinted in hardcover in The John Byrne Collection omnibus. *'2015' **'December 29', reprinted in paperback in The John Byrne Collection omnibus. *'2018' **'December 6', reprinted in hardcover in the omnibus Graphic Novel Collection #53 by Eaglemoss. Appendices Background *This issue was released in four covers, all by John Byrne. The two primary covers were available equally. The third cover, an uncolored version of the B cover, was available as a retail incentive. The fourth cover, which featured the B cover art from all four issues of the miniseries, was released exclusively at the Diamond Retailer Summit at the 2010 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. Related stories External link * Category:tOS comics